The last five to six years have been something of a nightmare for Metal Gear fans. It started with Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain which may have been an incredible game but not without some pretty major caveats. The Phantom Pain’s launch went hand in hand with series creator Hideo Kojima’s ugly split from Konami. And for many, that was the death knell for the franchise. Because really, what’s Metal Gear without Kojima?
1:09 That wasn’t it for the franchise of course, because soon afterward we got the apparition known as Metal Gear Survive which honestly didn’t instill a lot of confidence in the series’ future. Konami seems to have distanced itself from video games almost entirely, especially in the development of premium AAA titles, and a lot of the company’s beloved properties have been slumbering for some time now. That, of course, includes Metal Gear with the series being stuck in a limbo of sorts. Does it have a future? Is it gone forever? And more importantly, without Hideo Kojima at the helm, should it even continue?
That said, there have been some interesting developments on that front over the last few months. Rumours of a series revival have been doing the rounds but people have been understandably skeptical. This is Metal Gear after all and given the series’ recent history, not to mention the recent history of Konami as a developer and publisher of video games, it’s hard to put faith in the idea that we might see a proper new Metal Gear Solid game anytime soon.
2:07 Of course, Metal Gear is not the only Konami franchise that is allegedly getting a proper revival. Silent Hill rumors have been grabbing the headlines for well over a year now and it seems that much like that Metal Gear Solid, it is going to be outsourced, at least according to the rumors. A report from Video Games Chronicle in February 2021 claimed that Konami was “looking to outsource” several of its properties to developers across the industry and that Metal Gear was among those franchises. Apparently releasing a new Metal Gear game in the next two to four years is the plan right now.
2:38 Earlier this month, we heard more reports along those same lines with YouTuber Jeremy Penter stating that according to his sources, who apparently have been credible in the past, the Metal Gear Solid license is indeed up for grabs with Konami looking to get other developers to take the property and work on it similar to what they are allegedly doing with Silent Hill. And the developer that has shouldered the responsibility of bringing Metal Gear back from the dead is allegedly none other than Bluepoint Games.
3:39 That Konami might be looking to outsource its properties isn’t hard to believe, actually. They’re valuable, beloved franchises, and if Konami lets them go to waste they’re just leaving money on the table. Clearly, they’re not interested in the in-house development of major big-budget games anymore, at least for the time being. So, it makes sense that they would look to other developers to come in and do the work.
4:06 However, what is hard to believe is that Bluepoint Games has been tasked with multiple Metal Gear Solid remakes. Bluepoint Games are remake masters, sure, and they’ve proven beyond doubt with their recent efforts that they’re more than capable enough of remaking and modernizing beloved classic games without compromising their quality.
But multiple Metal Gear games being greenlit at the same time, in a deal that would probably entail several years of development, marketing releases, and what have you, honestly seems a little far-fetched. A little too good to be true. After all, reports suggest that multiple Silent Hill games are in development at different studios as well. But if it is true, it’s a very surprising development.
4:48 Regardless of how many Metal Gear games are going to be made, there does seem to be mounting evidence that suggests that a series revival may very well be on the cards right now. Recently, David Hater, who has been the voice of Solid Snake and Big Boss for as long as the two have had voices, with the exception of Metal Gear Solid 5 of course, stated that according to his sources a Metal Gear Solid revival is indeed in the works. It goes without saying that Hater is a very reliable source for any news related to the series.
5:39 Even with all of this, however, the question remains: should Metal Gear continue without Hideo Kajima’s involvement? He brought a very particular kind of style and flavor to the series that defined its very identity for as long as it has been around. And that very unique Kojima flare seems inexorably linked to the very essence of Metal Gear. Without it, would a Metal Gear game even be what fans are looking for? If Bluepoint is indeed in charge of the series revival that may allay some fears. The developer is known for how closely it sticks to original works and how faithfully it adapts games and their styles into their remakes.
A lot of questions but not a lot of answers. At this point in time, the best we can hope for is concrete news one way or another that tells us whether there even is a series revival to look forward to. If there is, regardless of how well it turns out, there would definitely be cause for excitement.